Awarded annually and sponsored by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), the Alberta Lieutenant Governor’s Greenwing Conservation Award recognizes individuals or groups who have demonstrated leadership in a project or activity which has contributed significantly to the public awareness of the value of wetland ecosystems and their benefit to the waterfowl, wildlife and people of Alberta.

It better be the Edmonton Wildlife Rehabilitation Society that gets the award. They were responsible for taking care of the ducks after the accident.

I just think it's absolutely ironic that the Alberta government would hand out an award like this while the tailing ponds of toxic water have reached the cumulative size of 50 square kilometers in northern Alberta's wetlands. Giant lakes of toxic waste destroy wetlands and create an unreclaimable wasteland.

There is nothing ironic about the timing of an annual award. I would assume that this is important to Ducks Unlimited and their public awareness efforts - so lets try to leave it to them. They also deserve to have their message heard.

What I find interesting is that 35 stingrays die at the Calgary Zoo, so where is GreenPeace there? No comment even? oh right, it's not politically relevant, so i guess they shouldn't be acknowledged. shame.

Keep up the good work though Dave, poking fun at these issues shows your character.

According to Ed Stelmach, the Liberal Official Opposition is now "subversive" for opposing his government's $25-million oilsands rebranding advertising campaign. How the hell is this guy still known as "Honest Ed????"

It was one of the premier's nastiest barbs to date, using a term that invokes anti-government radicalism and has been more commonly used in the legislature to refer to terrorists or cited by the Chinese government to arrest critics of the upcoming Olympic Games.

An Alberta political scientist found the remarks uncharacteristically blunt and arrogant, while the Liberal at the receiving end said he's been called names by Tories, but never subversive.

"It clearly shows that the premier would like to have a one-party state in Alberta," Edmonton-Gold Bar MLA Hugh MacDonald said. "It goes to show he has very little respect for democracy.

"There were lots of citizens in this province who voted for someone other than the Progressive Conservative party, and he seems to want to forget that. I think his 72-seat majority has gone to his head."

Stelmach made the comments during a budget debate in the legislature. Amid a testy exchange about the upcoming $25-million Alberta "branding" push, which the Liberals consider propaganda, MacDonald insisted to the premier that the official opposition has a role to keep the government accountable.

"The role of opposition in a democratic government is very important, but it's not to be subversive," Stelmach replied. "There's a big difference. It's a big difference."

The man clearly can't stand being questioned. He probably thinks that because he won 72 seats he has a right to do whatever he wants (or at least that's how he's been acting). I used to think that Ed Stelmach was a nice guy, but he's been acting more like a jerk lately.

Of course Ducks Unlimited deserve to have their message heard and I'm certain that there will be some acknowledgement of the tragedy up north at the event, but it's very difficult to deny the irony of the government giving this award at the same time as they are facing all sorts of criticism over water fowl and corporate self-reporting.

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The opinions expressed on this blog represent my own and not those of my employer or any organization I may be affiliated with.In addition, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time. I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. This blog is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of the various ideas running around my brain, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not the same, nor even similar, to those I may hold today.

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Who is Dave Cournoyer? I am a writer, blogger, communicator, occasional media pundit, political watcher, & proud life-long Albertan. I studied Political Science at the University of Alberta and have served as Vice-President (External) of the U of A Students' Union, Chair of the Council of Alberta University Students, and communications coordinator for Alberta's official opposition party.